Addict
by hiei1317
Summary: When Itachi starts bending orders all hell starts breaking lose in the Akatsuki. He can't help it though, there's something about Sasuke that he just can't stay away from. Something gravitational. Something addicting.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Addict

Rated M for:

-yaoi

-violence

-language

-possibly Uchihacest (I haven't gotten that far - yet - wink wink)

Summary: When Itachi starts bending orders all hell starts breaking lose in the Akatsuki. He can't help it though, there's something about Sasuke that he just can't stay away from. Something gravitational. Something addicting.

Set somewhere after the first appearance of Itachi and Kisame in Konoha and later against Jiraiya but before the Tea Village fillers in the anime

disclaimer: I in no way own Naruto nor the characters within

a/n: Alright, Merry Christmas, here's your present! yeah, this is my first post in a long time, I know... and I'm not even sure how good it is... hope it's alright. I know it's probably horridly ooc at times, but I hope that it doesn't deter you. I'm really working at getting everyone in character, but Itachi is a little difficult for me. I'm trying to draw on my knowledge from Bouncing Back to help me out a little, and it does improve, you just have to suffer through the first chapter to get to the good part _sweat drop_ ... and yes, there is a yaoi scene to kick it all off because my close friend (you know who you are, Ken-chan) likes my yaoi scenes. But the scene has a purpose, I assure you.

Enjoy!

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Kisame POV 

I don't know what it is that has been bothering Itachi so much lately, but I know that it has his blood running hot. For days now he has been set on visiting this one town just outside of Konoha. He insists that it's important, and if there's one thing I've learned about Itachi, if he says it's important don't get in his way.

He's been really clingy lately, too, which makes me think that this may be a difficult thing for him. Normally at night we don't even sleep in the same bed if we can help it, but he's been crawling up next to me late at night while he thinks I'm asleep. Or maybe he knows I'm awake. Either way he has been arriving in the middle of the night to cling to my shirt, if I'm wearing one, and curl up next to me.

At the Akatsuki it is no secret that him and I are sex partners. No sex partners are a secret there. Whether it's us, Sasori and Deidara, Kakuzu and Hidan, Pein and Konan, or Zetsu and Tobi, we all are well aware of what happens. But for Itachi to be so up front about our relationship is not like him.

So here I lie, confused, late at night, with a desperate Itachi curling up against my stomach. I'm tired of not being able to hold him when he does this. He obviously wants it, whether he'll admit to that or not, and so I see no reason to deny him.

I wrap an arm around him and he tenses, "You should go to sleep."

"I'm sure you know I've never been asleep when you've come over," I whisper against his hair.

"We'll be arriving in town tomorrow and we need rest." I know that he knows.

I wrap an arm around his stomach and hold him close to me, "I don't need that much sleep. I've gone days without sleep and I've been fine in battle."

"We'll need to be well rested."

"Who are you planning to fight?" I probe at his intentions, gently.

"If we're lucky, no one."

"And if we're not."

"I don't know, Kisame," the way he sighs my name I know to stop.

I kiss the back of his neck and he flinches. I stroke a callused hand across his hair, moving it behind one of his ears.

He turns over, his stomach against my abs. I hook one leg around both of his and hold his head against my chest. He's so much smaller that when he's worried like this I could almost be fooled that he's fragile. Almost.

"You don't have to be strong for me, Itachi," I whisper.

"…" there's only a huff of air as a reply.

"There's no reason to be strong tonight," I nudge a little more.

He pushes back on one of my shoulders enough to roll me onto my back. The next thing I know his face is hovering above mine. "Stop." My only warning. I don't care. I wrap a strong, insistent hand around the back of his neck and pull him down, our lips meeting sloppily. He doesn't greet the kiss with immediate kindness, trying not to give in, but as I lap my tongue against his lips they finally part. Even his own tongue gets daring, darting in between my sharp teeth and battling with my own for dominance. I let him win this fight.

I moan into his mouth as his hands start to travel my chest, then my neck, and finally land around my gills. He strokes them and it's enough to send heat shooting down to my groin. I can feel him pull his legs over and above my hips. He has his own heat to lend to my own, making me gasp as our mouths part.

"Itachi?"

"I want you."

"I can tell," I smirk.

"You're the one that makes me need like this," he looks me in the eyes with a sort of feeling that he's never given to me before.

My brow furrows, "What's wrong, Itachi?"

He doesn't respond, but instead gives his own answer as he moves down to my neck and bites, hard. My head shoots back as I cry out in both pain and pleasure. The forest is filled with the echo and some small animal nearby runs away, but nothing else seems to care. It's the night, odd noises, even loud ones, are just another mystery in the darkness. I pant as he lets go of my neck, the area pulsing with an odd beat and sending tingles shooting down my spine.

I almost laugh, one of my hands finding its way up and under Itachi's shirt, lifting it. When I reach his neck I use two hands to pull it off as he raises his pale arms into the moonlight. Once the shirt is no longer hindering my sight I can see the way that his skin glows in the moonlight. It's almost enchanting, if such a word could ever describe Itachi. Nonetheless, it takes my breath away. He watches me as I shrug out of my own shirt, and then clasp my hands to his sides. He doesn't take even a second to care about _my_ bare torso, though, as he grinds his hardness against mine.

This really does take my breath away, stopping it in my throat. I try to breathe past that lump but can't so I do my best at drowsily untying his pants. He doesn't like the slow pace that my oxygen deprived mind is working at and quickly does it himself. Once bare, he quickly grants me the same luxury, freeing my pained erection just as I'm learning to breathe again.

His hands wrap around my length and I can't help but claw at the ground around us. The dirt is soft, but it doesn't satiate my need to grasp something, anything. My hands find his length and squeeze. A rare cry passes his lips. It's so intoxicating to hear.

I squeeze again and despite my calluses I can feel how hard he is and by the moonlight I can see the pearly drop that sits atop him. He moans and his grip loosens around me. I thrust into the cavity that his hands have produced around me and moan myself. Yet more noises to be lost in the midnight air.

He catches his breath and looks down the length of me before asking, "Would you be able to fight if we did this?"

"Of course. I'm not that weakened by it, you know that." In truth I may not be fit for all the walking after this, I just don't want it to stop.

He nods and adds, "There's nothing to – "

"I can take it."

He smirks and lowers his head almost level with my length. I watch one hand longingly as it unwraps and travels beyond my field of vision. I feel a small warning press against my entrance and suddenly he's inside me. Already I feel more complete. Pain is nothing compared to this pleasure.

He stretches me as I pump along his length. At one point he halts my hands, but does not remove their warmth from around him. As he prepares me I watch his face, so concentrated and yet so fair.

I reach out to him, stroking his cheek as his fingers retreat, leaving only seconds before he thrusts into me. Damn! That hurts like a son of a bitch! I wince and hold my breath, tensing before forcing myself to relax under these impossible conditions.

Itachi pauses, watching me, letting me adjust to him, or maybe just calming down himself, either way it allows me some time before he pulls out, more and more until just the tip of him is inside me. And then he thrusts back in. This time he hits something inside me that leaves me crying out and seeing stars brighter and closer than those in the sky.

He balances with a hand on either side of my broad shoulders as he thrusts at a steady pace, never breaking for his moans or grunts. I don't break for mine, my knees hiked up to either side of his hips, holding him inside me even if he doesn't need the help.

I gasp as he thrusts harshly inside me, his pace slowing. Suddenly one of his hands finds its way to my painfully stiff erection, instantly shooting heat through my entire body. I gasp and throw my head back as he continues at a slow pace, thrusting in harshly. A few more thrusts and I feel him spill, hot, inside me. He thrusts only twice more before staying still, pumping still until finally there is a white hot heat that spills all through me and I feel tired.

When my senses start to become aware of my surroundings once more I can hear nothing but my own breath and the breath of the one collapsed on top of me. I wrap an arm lazily around his waist as he looks up at me and I glance down at him. There's no smile on his face, there's no content smirk, but I can see in his eyes that he feels better.

"What's got you so worried, Itachi?" I stroke his cheek with my free hand, lightly rubbing his cheekbone with my thumb.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing doesn't get you eager like this. What is it?"

"It's nothing, Kisame." He snaps the words, but only out of self-defense.

I don't answer him, I just brush his back lightly with my fingers. Slowly I feel the hand that had kept him balanced in the end stroking down my one side, tracing strange patterns not unlike those of his sharingan eyes that haven't shown since we set up camp.

"You're saving your eyes so they'll be sharp tomorrow. Who do you expect to see?"

"A weakling."

"Than why save your eyes?" I almost laugh.

"Because there will be a threat with him, a ninja."

"Are you worried about the ninja?"

"No."

"Than who are you worried about?"

There's a moment of silence where even the wind is still. "The weakling."

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a/n: you made it this far, please please please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: thank you everyone for supporting this story so far!!! Here's second chapter. I've been experimenting with new people and their POVs so let me know if I need to work on something!

disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

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Naruto POV

"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura's voice floats in the morning air.

"Late, _again_!" I growl.

"He really needs to grow up!" She adds.

"Grr! How long is he gonna make us wait!?" I yell.

"Would you two be quiet?" Sasuke scolds, "It's too early for this." It's way too damn early to be out, I actually agree. We were told we were to meet Kakashi-sensei before sunrise. Here we are, at sunrise, with no Kakashi to be found.

"This is _so_ typical. We should have just slept in." I scratch the back of my head and look to the sky. There are some early birds flying towards the forest that we're going to be training in today. The sky itself is pink, turning to purple, turning to grey, turning to a blackness with some stars that are still hanging on to any darkness they can. It's a pitiful attempt, the sunlight will soon make them all disappear for the day.

A day that may arrive with no Kakashi-sensei. I growl again and start pacing, with Sasuke watching me like a hawk and Sakura glaring at me. She can be so mean sometimes!

"Stop pacing, Naruto, it's just going to get everyone else anxious," she snaps.

"Speak for yourself," Sasuke sighs.

Sakura looks a little shot down from that comment, but persists. "Stop it Naruto!"

Suddenly there is a rush of chakra and Kakashi-sensei grins down at us from a tree branch. "Morning."

"You're late again!" Sakura and I yell at the same time. Sasuke ignores us all, as usual.

"I just was busy setting up the race course," Kakashi-sensei shrugs, "but if you're not interested I'm sure I could find some more difficult training for you to do as a warm up instead."

"A race?" I jump up.

"Sounds exciting!" Sakura leaps up as well.

"Hn." Sasuke pushes off of the tree that he was leaning up against and joins us in a line in front of Kakashi-sensei who has now jumped out of the tree.

"Alright, alright," sensei waves his hands, "The race is simple. Run through the forest and to the lake. I'll know who gets there first because I have a few shadow clones waiting. The first one that can destroy one of my three shadow clones and return wins."

"Sounds easy!" I'm ready to take off and I almost do before sensei stops me.

"Hold up, Naruto, no one gets a head start here." Kakashi-sensei moves his arm from in front of me. "Now, I want you all to take these transmitters. I know that this is only training but we are far enough away from Konoha that we could run into trouble and being split up isn't the way to handle that. If you run into any trouble at all I want you to hit the button. It'll be picked up by a master control that I have and I'll know where you are immediately."

"Alright, alright, let's get going!" I bounce.

Kakashi-sensei rolls his uncovered eye and hands us all the transmitters. I clip mine to my collar. Sakura puts hers on her shoulder and Sasuke puts his on his waist.

"Everybody ready then?" I can hear the smile in sensei's voice. "Okay. Go!"

**Kisame POV**

I wake up to the sun just starting to rise. There is a group of birds flying overhead deeper into the forest. Itachi is at my side, but wide awake.

"You could have gotten up," I mumble, voice still laden with sleep.

"You needed the sleep," Itachi comments nonchalantly.

"Moving wouldn't have woken me up," I shrug, sitting up, and wincing. Damn. I was not prepared for that.

"…" the normal Uchiha answer.

I run my hand through my hair and stand up, hunting down my bag for some fresh clothes. It's no pleasant task in the brisk morning air, but I get over it quickly, finding my bag and throwing on my Akatsuki cloak. I can feel the warmth of it instantly, missing the body against mine, whether it's smaller or not. Itachi is always a comforting presence. We've worked together as assassins for so long that he's the only one that I would trust at my back in a fight. It's no offense to the other members of the Akatsuki, it's just that I haven't worked with any of them in a fight and Itachi's and my powers are very complementary of each other. That and I'm the only one that he cares about getting close to.

"So where are we going?" I ask as I pull on a fresh pair of loose pants and shrug my cloak off.

"To the edge of the forest."

"What's there?"

"A small town."

I nod, knowing he won't tell me more, and throw on the rest of my clothing, then put the cloak back on.

"We'll need to watch for Konoha ninja," he adds as an afterthought.

"I know," I nod, "but they're nothing to worry about. They're weak."

"Have you forgotten your run in with Kakashi already?"

"You beat him didn't you?" I point out the fact, but I know what toll it took on his body.

From the glare that he gives me I am reminded. His eyes may only be a dead black, but that doesn't make things any better than when they are they're sharingan red. This may actually be more threatening.

"I get it, I'll be careful," I give in.

"No fights."

"I know, I know, Itachi." I reach out and place a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Don't worry about me."

I pick up Samehada after throwing last nights clothing into my bag and we're off. He leads me through the trees with his eyes as black as the night sky, but there is no sign of stars in these eyes, only the promise of death. Our walk, as it always is, is quiet. We both value the company of another fighter, but not enough to want to talk. That's mostly Itachi's rule, but I don't mind. Talking with Itachi doesn't go very far if there is no need to say the words.

With Samehada on my back I'm more down to business, more ready to fight, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still wondering about Itachi's strange mood. He just has not been himself the past couple of days. Sure I've seen him in bad shape before, worrying about getting accepted into the Akatsuki and especially just before the massacre of his family, but if I know Itachi he'll be back to his normal self within just a couple of days. Then again today he seems to be himself.

I glance over at him in the corner of my eye and see that his eyes are bright red. We must be getting close. Now that I'm trying I can feel the energy of someone familiar drawing closer. I just can't place who the energy belongs to.

Itachi stops and so do I. He seems to feel the energy too, almost like he can see the person. Maybe he can. There's a burst of chakra and a rustling of leaves. Itachi jumps into a nearby tree and I follow, taking a position in a tree across from him so that the noises will pass in between us. Suddenly Itachi steps out in front of the noises just in time for a blur to stop, a gasp resonating through the forest.

The boy looks a lot like Itachi, almost like a mini-Itachi, but this boy doesn't have the killer instinct, he just doesn't have that look to him. He's too soft.

"Itachi!" the boy yells, reaching for his waist, possibly for a hidden weapon. I toss a shuriken at his hand, successfully cutting it before even Itachi can react. I step out of the trees myself.

"Now, now," I grin, "let's not have any fights."

"You wouldn't win, Sasuke," Itachi drawls, smooth and even.

"Ah, right, so this is the little brother," I laugh, "still looks nothing like you, Itachi."

Itachi ignores me and approaches Sasuke, who charges with a fist in the air. Itachi catches the fist in one hand and shoves little Sasuke into a tree chest first. There's a short struggle, Sasuke trying to fight his way free, but it doesn't last long. Itachi takes both of his brother's hands, puts them behind his back and forces him to stay still.

"I'm not here to fight, Sasuke."

"Like hell you aren't!" Sasuke growls into the tree.

"I'm not here to fight," Itachi repeats.

"Too bad!" Sasuke yells, trying to get free.

"What was that?" a voice in the distance yells it, some girl's voice, and then I can hear someone approaching.

Itachi leans in and whispers to Sasuke, something that even my trained ears can't pick up. I can see the young one's eyes widen, like an animal about to be slaughtered: terrified. Suddenly there is a renewed fervor to Sasuke's struggles, but Itachi releases him on his own will.

"It's time to go, Kisame."

I look to Sasuke, watch his line of vision and turn to see a girl with pink hair staring in horror at the scene.

"What's going on Sasuke?" she asks, "who are these guys?"

Sasuke doesn't answer though, taking Itachi's and my momentary distraction to attack. Itachi doesn't even turn his attention to Sasuke as he evades the attack. "It's time to go, Kisame."

I don't hesitate this time, turning to Itachi, grinning, and adding, "Alright, the funs about to be ruined any way."

Itachi takes off then, just as another presence, this one much stronger, starts getting too close for comfort to the clearing that we had been in. Itachi is silent, but picks up the pace as the energy starts to pursue us. Soon we have gotten far beyond the power and it turns around and starts heading away from us again.

"What was that all about, Itachi? We come all this way just so you can say hi to your brother?"

"Something like that," he answers.

"What did you whisper to him?"

"It's none of your business," he warns.

"You terrified him," I point out.

"It was a promise," he answers.

"Of what?"

"That he will be mine to kill."

"How?"

"He's addicted to me, Kisame," as if that explains anything.

"Addicted in what way?"

"You wouldn't understand, Kisame."

"Maybe you're right, so enlighten me."

"Sasuke has an addiction now. He won't be able to resist trying to find me now." With that he gives a short chuckle, soft and yet with the promise of so much pain.

"Right, Itachi," I follow him wordlessly, knowing this is definitely not the last time I'll get to see the little Uchiha, the only other surviving member of Itachi's clan.


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: I'm so sorry about the wait! I've been really busy**

**So without further wait here's the chapter! I hope to have more up soon!

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**Kisame POV**

It's a long walk back to the Akatsuki base. Normally three days away from the mayhem that is Deidara's explosions would not bother me, but three days is a long time to have to stay quiet, knowing that Itachi is keeping a secret from me. I've asked him about what he meant to do with Sasuke, and what he meant by the fact that Sasuke is addicted. I've also asked why now. None of these questions have been answered, but there has to be something strategic to it, or Itachi would not be doing any of this now. He's back to himself though, talking as little as possible and sleeping straight through the nights. To admit that I miss his presence next to me would be a lie, but the warmth is something I could dearly use. We've both been freezing in the fall air.

I've been planning on going to the bathhouse near the base since we ran into Sasuke. But I don't know if I could talk Itachi into going with. I hope that I can, though. Maybe he'll talk more after a warm bath. Besides, if he doesn't go I'm going to have to track down someone that will. Not that that would be _too_ difficult.

We arrive back at sunset, just as the air is getting unbearably cold to walk in. I'm sweating from the sun, and so is Itachi, but the cold breeze causes me to pull my cloak tighter in around me. It's miserable, but I just keep my mind on the warm waters of the bathhouse.

As we walk into the cave a familiar face grins over at us.

"Hey Kisame!" Deidara waves, "Hey Itachi, un!"

"Hey, Deidara, where's Sasori?" I walk over and Itachi actually pauses behind me.

"Sasori-danna's in our room, he's getting extra clothes so we can go to the bathhouse, un. We just got back from a mission and I really wanted to go." He pauses and then adds, "You want to come with, un?"

"I was actually planning on going myself," I grin. Then I look to Itachi, "You coming too?" I don't care that there is a hopeful lilt to my voice, it's not like we have anything to hide here. I'm sure that once Sasori shows up him and Deidara will have to restrain themselves from jumping each other in the hot water.

Itachi, upsettingly, shakes his head, "I'm going to rest."

"Aw, come on, Itachi, un, you can rest at the bathhouse!" Deidara encourages, and slyly adds, "I'm sure you could talk Kisame into carrying you!"

This earns Deidara a dangerous glare. I keep my mouth shut, but truth be told if Itachi needed me to I would. I know that he's not weak, and I'm not the sentimental type, but I'm still willing to help him out. We are partners, in more sense than one, after all.

Itachi turns to Deidara and is about to say something exceedingly scathing when Sasori shows up. Sasori glances quickly between Deidara and Itachi and sighs out, "What did you do this time, Deidara?"

"I was just teasing, un!" Deidara whines.

Sasori shakes his head and turns to Itachi and me, "I'm sure Deidara already told you…"

"I'm not going," Itachi states, "Kisame is."

"Of course the shark would want to go for a swim, un!" Deidara treads on thin ice once more. This time he even earns a glare from me.

I turn to Itachi to see that he is mimicking the glare that I was just giving to Deidara and that's enough to put my mind at rest. It's not a large show of affection, but it's a defensive move coming from Itachi, and that he would defend me makes me feel better. Looking past the glare I can see in his eyes that he's tired. Something has drained him and I know better than to assume that it's his eyes.

I place a hand on Itachi's shoulder and turn back to Sasori, "Actually, I think I'll pass. I'll go tomorrow."

Sasori turns to address us both, "Well, then we should be going, before Deidara can get himself into more trouble."

"Sasori-danna, un" Deidara looks genuinely shot down, "I was just joking!"

Sasori places a gentle hand on Deidara's back, and then moves it to Deidara's neck, rubbing circles into the sensitive flesh there. Deidara practically purrs. I do dare to do these things with Itachi, but I would never get away with it with other people around.

They leave and Itachi and I quickly walk back to the room. On the way he watches me out of the corner of his eye before finally asking, "Why didn't you go? You kept saying you wanted a hot bath."

"It can wait," I grin, "I'm tired too and I just want to get somewhere where it's warm, and a bed counts."

He sighs, "You should have gone."

"What is your problem, Itachi?" I ask, concerned but with a tone of anger.

He glares at me and then stops, turning to me, "Why didn't you go to the bathhouse?"

"Because I saw that you were tired and I wanted you to have someone here with you!" I almost yell, but I'm beyond that point, my voice changing to a feral growl.

"I don't need your help," he states, anger leaking into his voice.

"I want to help any way," I growl.

He continues to walk, since we're close to our room, and the conversation drops for the moment. I glare at his back as I follow him, not wanting to have to even out my paces just to be glared at the rest of the way back to the room.

When we reach the room he slams the door open and after I enter I slam it shut. Before I can react he's standing inches away from me, and I'm pinned to the door. If he's truly angry with me he could kill me right here, right now.

His eyes are a red that I've never seen the sharingan reach before, and they seem to be changing for a moment. I fear that he may torture me with his Tsukuyomi, but before any other fear can pass through me his eyes go black and he winces, retreating a step. I push off of the door and stand ready to take him into my arms or back down again, which ever he needs more. He turns in my general direction but I can tell that he's not seeing me clearly. I pull him into one arm, carefully holding him at my side.

"Is this what's been bothering you lately?" I ask carefully.

He shakes his head. He rubs his eyes once, twice, three time before he can see clearly, or clearly enough to make it to his bed without my arm around him. I move beside him and sit down next to him. He turns to me and kisses me, hard, without warning. I kiss him back and he melts in my touch. If Itachi cried, that's what he'd be doing now, but he doesn't so instead he just melts into my touch, curling in against me.

I stroke his back when our kiss is finished and he sighs, pulling up on my cloak so that his head rests by my ear, and he whispers, just loud enough for me to hear, "I've been disobeying a direct order from Pein."

I turn my head so my mouth is pressed to his ear, "What?"

"Pein has ordered me not to make any moves concerning Sasuke for a while considering what happened with Jiraiya last time. I can't stop though. I don't think that it's just him who's addicted. Ever since I left him alive the decision has haunted me. He either has to be in my control, or dead," he growls, "but I can't seem to make either happen."

With this confession his muscles seem to loosen, he seems to be much calmer.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" I whisper.

"I don't want you involved," he demands suddenly.

"Why not?"

"If Pein found out…"

"I don't care."

"Possession of him, Kisame, that would mean…"

"I know," I interrupt, "and I know that you can't replace of me, not that easily."

"Kisame…"

I genuinely smile into his neck, a fleeting expression for us both, and pull him closer, "Maybe your brother's not the only one who's addicted to _you_."

Without any verbal answer I can tell that he's relieved. I can feel it in the way that his hand travels across my back, across my neck, across my cheek. I can feel it when I run my hands through his hair, across his neck, down his spine. There's a relaxation that he hasn't experienced in a long time that I can feel in every fiber of his body.

"You really should have gone to the bathhouse," he sighs.

I grin with all my teeth displayed, "And why is that?"

"To get warm."

"Keep me warm," I growl, pushing him back onto the bed and straddling his hips.

He pulls himself up to me and kisses me, hands grasping roughly at my shoulders. I wrap one arm down and around his waist, holding him level with me. He doesn't even seem to notice that we're both sweating a cold sweat, nor that we're grimy from sleeping on the ground. After a moment even I can forget all this. We both can't help it, as he rolls me over and kisses me fervently from on top of me. He then breaks the kiss and lies down on top of me.

"Keep me warm, Kisame," he whispers into the cold room.

I undo my cloak, working around him as he shifts every once in a while to help, and then wrap him inside with me. I feel warmer instantly.

"Don't worry about Pein, Itachi," I whisper as we both start to drift off to sleep, him pulling the covers over us, "I'll be here to back you up no matter what."

There's no answer, but as the covers settle over us there is a certain peace to the room that has never been there before.


End file.
